Alan Smithee

I fixed SO many things that were wrong with the 16-screen Regal I worked at too during the one year I worked there, including getting rid of background noise in almost every sound system (and fixing one that mixed the sound from the center and front left into both speakers) and fixing the Exit signs so they didn't shine on the screen. Place had been open a year already and nobody had noticed or cared about those things. But I refused to have the masking move for their stupid slide ads, so of course I had to go.

Rypro 525

fun story, Dark Knight Rises, midnight showing, imax, sold out weeks in advance, they actually turned on the full lights and even cut off the end credits music not even through the main part. people were PISSED

Matthew Chmiel

The best part of seeing it in 15/70 was the theater immediately went to lights off, IMAX policy trailer, and directly right into the film. Not a single light went on until the last second of the end credits. I made sure I went out of my way to make sure every single viewing of that film was in 15/70 IMAX.

Thank you for trying to help Regal Cinemas be less of a cesspool of shit. It's a fucking wonder theater chains are questioning why nobody is going to the movies anymore. It's because of crap like this.

My Other Self

I saw both Dark Knight and Dark Knight Rises in 15/70 IMAX and it was the best experience I've ever had going to the movies. No bullshit, no ads, just the movie. Worth every penny.

I've never been a fan of Regal or Century (I prefer AMC theaters) but they're the only theater chains in this area. If I'm in the Bay Area or down in SoCal I hit up an AMC.

When I was in LA for my birthday last July my hotel was not far from the ArcLight. I had wanted to check out something there but didn't have a chance. I'm not sure how they are in comparison to Regal and Century but I'm sure they can't be worse.

joliom

Funny, here in Hawaii Regal is the best of the two major theater chains. I make a point of seeing any big "spectacle" films at their Dole Cannery Stadium 18 location. They also have the only IMAX theater in the state (except for the one at the Polynesian Cultural Center that only shows a documentary about coral reefs).

Neeb

"When did Regal Cinemas become cheap, lazy, and/or both? "

I'd say they got cheap right around the time Phil Anshutz bought them.

I'm still pissed at his company for closing the Coronet in San Francisco.

Alan Smithee

Phil Anshutz actually saved Regal from bankruptcy, for which he is on my shit list as Regal should have died a huge death and might have without him. Rumor after I had started working at their theater was that it would soon be sold to Century, but instead Anshutz bought Regal and turned it around.

Josh-da-man

Nice form letter!

Matthew Chmiel

I really can't determine which chain is worse in that statement.

Neeb

That sounds kind of like the general who said we had to destroy the village to save it.

Regal Cinemas as a company now... leaves a lot to be desired.

TomOpus

I had a concession pricing issue at an AMC and sent a comment. I received an email from the general manager of that particular theater. She was very nice and wondered if I had any additional info. She said I was correct and if I would like either a free pass or a free popcorn. I chose the pass. A couple days later I got a personalized Thank You card in the mail. She included the movie pass PLUS the free popcorn coupon. Very nice.

We emailed back and forth for a bit. She would tell me about upcoming improvements.

bunkaroo

Regal took over the former AMC Cantera theater I go to all the time, and it's definitely apparent how the quality has diminished. I was just there Sunday to see The Rover and there was no video during all of the trailers, and then they had to delay the start of the film. Had to laugh when I saw the Windows XP taskbar show up at the bottom of the theater screen. There's your problem right there!

Another thing that annoys the shit out of me there - they don't have salt shakers out for the popcorn. It's all packets. They probably lose more money on the packets since people probably just grab a large handful instead of shaking out what they need.

joliom

I've always wondered why they insist on going with the salt packets over shakers as well. Do people steal the shakers even when they are on a chain? It doesn't seem to be a problem at the other theaters.

My Other Self

Not that this is the reason at Regal but I thought we didn't really see salt and pepper shakers out in public anymore due to their being non-hygienic. Wasn't it proven they're actually dirtier than a toilet seat?

Alan Smithee

The smaller theater I worked for used a salt shaker and people swiped it all the time- it was usually found in one of the theaters after closing. Never understood why people kept bending over and paying those inflated prices for food in the first place.

Century has always been a pretty bad company, but at the time I worked for Regal I decided they were miles ahead, and them taking that theater over would have been an improvement.

Another reason Regal hates me: They actually had a "Company Policy" of cutting off the green bands ("The following Preview has been approved for all audiences...) from all the trailers. Having seen movies there before I worked for them, I'd assumed it was whoever put the films together didn't know what they were doing, but after I was hired I saw they had a sign in the projection booth stating this. I called a few of the movie studios asking if it was really OK to be doing this, most of them said it wasn't. I let the theater's manager know and she basically didn't care and told me to keep doing it. Later, Regal's home office got a good "talking-to" from someone at Warner about this and they suddenly reversed their policy, but I also got chewed out on the phone by the district manager. In the end, it was just clear that these people wanted the most mediocre presentation possible, and I was just ruining that for them.

johnnysd

What/where is that???

Alan Smithee

Mini-burgers to match the mini-screen! Bet that plate runs about $20 too.

davidh777

They're defraying their costs by stealing the salt shaker. Stick it to the Man!

Wait, except then they leave it behind in the theater.

Why So Blu?

The ticket is $20 and those burgers are less than $15, I think.

It's the classiest movie theater around.

Why So Blu?

It's the iPic theater chain. We have two of them in L.A.


http://www.ipictheaters.com/video.aspx?v=tour

Josh-da-man

Yeah, that's true. Salt and pepper shakes (along with ketchup bottles) are the filthiest things in almost any given restaurant. Dozens of people are touching them every day and they seldom, if ever, get washed.

Touching a salt shaker and then touching your food and putting it in your mouth is like giving a hobo a rimjob.

hanshotfirst1138

It's amazing how much I didn't need that imagine in my head. Seriously, on cosmic level, I didn't need to hear that. I'm notorious for skipping to the bathroom part of the way through a movie, but between the exorbitant prices and and the annoying noises they make, I all-but don't buy food or liquids in movie theaters anymore. The price of a 2-D ticket is enough for me as it is, thanks.

whotony

Ok got a letter from AMC Downtown Disney Orlando.

The picture on Godzilla looked like it was interlaced? Lots of horizontal combing.

The letter I got was almost word for word the same at Matthew'.
Going Friday with the free passes to see Transformers.

hanshotfirst1138

I contacted my local AMC about a horrendous-looking DCP, I got a very nice, detailed answer with lots of technical info (Which thanks to my years in this forum, I actually DID understand!), but it basically boiled down to the fact that the encode that they got kind of....sucked.

Alan Smithee

But... but... DIGITAL is supposed to be PERFECT!!!!!!

At least they didn't say it was because the film print was 'worn out' after 2 weeks.